The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1887-04-14
INTERSTATE COMMERCE.
FULL TEXT OF THE ACT AS PASS.
ED BY CONGRESS.
Lawyers Differ About What the Bill
Means..The Chronicle Publishes It..
Read its Provisions.


Means--The Chronicle Publishes It..
Read its Provisions.
''Why is it., asked well-informed gen.
tleman, few days ago, whom the editor
of the CHRONICLE chanced to meet on the
train, ''that none of our North Carolina
| papers have published the full text of the
much talked of Interstate Commerce
bill? We all know who the Commissioners
| are, d" he added, 'but we know nothing of
their powers"
We didn't know how better to reply to
his inquiry than to tell him that, acting
upon his suggestion, the bill in its entirety
would appear in the next issue of the STATE
CHRONICLE.
The lawyers differ about its meaning in
some respects. Railroad men and publ
cists are apprehensive that it will not, at
first, result in good. Maryland that is
the largest class-hope that it will prevent
combinations for continuous carryage, and
that at the same time it will not injure the
| owners of railroads or retard railroad
building
The editors have feared that it would
roads have discontinued granting passes:
| others have not. 1t is not decided whether
this bill will prevent a railroad, wholly
in one State, from issuing passes. The
general opinion is that it applies only to
roads running into more than one State.
The Interstate Commerce bill is, doubt
less, imperfect and its operations will not
be satisfactory until all its provisions are
perfected, and they cannot be made per-
| feet until experience points out the needed
changes. But the legislation was needed
| and will work good in the long-run of
this we are fully satisfied.
The following is the full text of the
| bill:
| Provisions of Act-TO Whom Applicable.
That the provisions of this act shall ap-
| ply to any common carrier or carriers en-
gagged in the transportation Of passengers
property wholly by railroad, partly
| by railroad and partly by water when
both are used, under a common control,
management, or arrancement, for a con-
| tinuous carriage or pment, from one
| state or terrific nited States, or
the District bia, to any other
| state or territoi he United States or
the District of Columbia, or from any
place in the Unite States to an adjacent
foreign count, or from any place i'll the
| United States through q foreign country
to any other place in the United States,
and also to the transportation in like
manner of property shipped from any
place in the United States to foreign
country and carried from such place to a
port of transshipment, shipped from a
foreign country to any place in the United
States and carried to such place from
| port of entry either in the United States
an adjacent foreign country: provided
however, that the provisions of this act
shall not apply to the transportation Of
passengers or property, or to the receiv-
ing, delivering, storage or handling OF
property, wholly within one state, and not
shipped to or from foreign country from
to any state or territory as aforesaid.
Terms ''Railroad'' and 'Transpcrtation''
Defined.
The term railroad" as used in this act
shall include all bridges and ferries used or
operated in connection with any railroad,
and also all the road in use by any
poraton, operating railroad, whether
owned or operated under contract,
agreement, or lease; and the term ''trans-
portation" shall include all instrumen-
talItleS OF shipment or carriage
Reasonable and Jnst Charges.
| All charges made for any service rem
dered to be rendered IN the transporta-
ton of passengers or property as aforesaid,
or in connection Herewith, or for the re-
ceivng, delivering, storage, or handling
of such proberty, shall be reasonable and
just; and every unjust and unreasonable
charge for such service Is prohibited and
declared to be unlawful
Special Rates. Rebates. Drawback, I'm
! just Determination.
Sec. .. That If any common carrier
subject to the provisions OF this act shall,
directly or indirectly, by any special rate,
rebate, drawback, or other Device charge,
demand collect, or receive from any per-
son or persons a greater or less compensa-
ton for any service rendered, or to be rem
dered, in the transportation of passengers
or property subject to the provisions of
this act, than it charges, demands, or col
lects, or receives from any other person
or persons for doing for him or them a
like and contemporaneous service in the
transportation of like kind of traffic
under substantially similar circumstances
and conditions, such common carrier shall
be deemed guilty Of unjust discrimina-
ton. which is hereby prohibited and de-
clared to be unlawful.
: Undue Unreasonable Proferences-In-
terchange OF Traffic.
Sec g. That it shall be unlawful for
any common carrier subject to the provis-
ions of this act to make or give any undue
5 or unreasonable preference or advantage
g to any particular person, company, firm,
corporation locality, or any particular
e description of traffic, in any respect what
r soever. to subject any particular person,
company, firm, corporation, or locality, or
any particular description of traffic, to
any undue or unreasonable prejudice or
disadvantage in any respect whatsoever.
Every common carrier subject to the
provisions of this act shall, according to
their respective powers, afford all reason
able, proper and equal facilities for the
interchange of traffic between their re-
spective lines, and for the receiving, for
:, warding and delivering OF passengers and
property to and from their several lines
and those connecting Herewith, and shall
not discriminate in their rates and charges
4 between such connecting lines; but this
shall not be construed as requiring any
o such common carrier to give the use Of Its
I track or terminal facilities to another car
rier engaged in like business.